In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, North Carolina State University permits students to inspect their education records and limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records.

With the exception of student records and a folder of personal information, the collection is open for research. Access requires at least 24 hours advance notice.

The Bruce J. Zobel Papers contain diaries, correspondence, speeches, an autobiography, articles, awards, reports, course information, theses proposals, serials, conference and symposia information, research plans, photographs, slides, artifacts, and other materials related to Zobel's career in forestry. Included are materials relating to Zobel's work on the faculty of North Carolina State University as well as work with the Central America and Mexico Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE), the Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for Promoting Scientific Research in the Forest Industry, the N.C. State-Industry Cooperative Forest Tree Improvement Program, the Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), Zobel Forestry Associates, and other organizations. Major topics include international forest improvement programs, forest genetics, wood properties, forest management, and tropical forestry.

Bruce J. Zobel, 1920-2011, is an internationally respected lecturer, consultant, professor, and expert on forest genetics and forest improvement. His career at North Carolina State University as a professor, head of the North Carolina Tree Improvement Cooperative, and professor emeritus has spanned nearly fifty years, from 1957 to 2004.

Biographical/historical note

Bruce John Zobel was born on February 11, 1920 in Los Gatos, California and died on February 5, 2011 in Raleigh, NC, the youngest of August and Emma Zobel's six children. His parents owned a fruit and vegetable farm in the Pajaro Valley in California near Watsonville. The entire Zobel family helped with farm duties, but education remained a priority for all of the Zobel children. Zobel graduated from high school in 1938.

In 1938, Bruce Zobel and his future wife Barbara both attended Salinas Junior College in preparation to attend the University of California in Berkeley. In 1941, the two married, and moved to Berkeley to attend school. In 1942, their first child, Don, was born. The following year, Bruce graduated with a bachelor's degree and joined the Pacific Lumber Company as a logging engineer. He remained in this position until 1944, when he was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1945, the Zobels' second child, Kathy, was born.

During his time with the Marines, Zobel worked at Camp Lejeune and helped develop a forestry management program. In 1946, Zobel applied for permanent separation from the Marine Corps and returned home to California to attend graduate school at Berkeley, making use of G.I. Bill benefits. During the time that Zobel pursued a masters and Ph.D. degree, he worked as a Senior Laboratory Assistant in the Forestry School

After receiving both degrees, the Zobels moved to College Station, Texas in 1951 where Bruce took a job with Texas A&M University, the Texas Forest Service, and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. He worked as on a tree improvement program for all three employers. In 1952, the Zobel's adopted Lois Jean, their second daughter. Two years later, Julia Ann, another daughter, was adopted.

His achievements attracted the attention of North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) in 1956, and the Zobels moved to the Raleigh area to work for the Tree Improvement Cooperative. In addition to running the cooperative, Zobel taught courses and advised forestry students. He became a respected authority on forest improvement and forest genetics, and was honored with a number of awards (see chronology).

During his career with North Carolina State University (NCSU), Zobel traveled extensively. These trips offered him the opportunity to meet potential clients for consulting work. In 1979, Zobel retired from NCSU, although he continued to teach part-time as a Professor Emeritus until 2002. Zobel independently consulted for international firms over the next few years, and in 1984, he founded the Zobel Forestry Associates. Zobel served as president and William Ladrach served as general manager. In 1995, Zobel sold his half of the company to Ladrach, but continued to work as an associate. In 2011 Dr. Zobel passed away in Raleigh, N.C.

February 11, 1920

Bruce J. Zobel born in California to August John and Emma Zobel

June 21, 1941

Married Barbara June Lemon in Carson City, Nevada

1943

Received B.S. in Forestry, University of California, Berkeley

1943-1944

Worked as Assistant to Logging Engr., Pacific Lumber Co., California

1945-1946

Worked as Forestry Officer, United States Marine Corps, Camp LeJeune, North Carolina

1947-1948

Worked as Senior Lab Assistant, University of California

1949

Received Master's in Forestry, University of California, Berkeley

1951

Received Ph.D. in Forestry, University of California, Berkeley

1951-1957

Worked as Silviculturalist, Texas A&M University

1956-1979

Served as Director of Industrial Forest Tree Improvement and Hardwood Programs

Named TAPPI Fellow, Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry

1973

Received Outstanding Extension Services Award, North Carolina State University

1974

Received Achievement Award, Appalachian Section of the Society of American Foresters

1974

Received the TAPPI Gold Medal, Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry

1975

Joined the Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Silviculture

1976

Received the Bicentennial Award, North Carolina Forestry Association

1979

Received Certificate of Appreciation, American Forestry Association

1979

Became Professor Emeritus

1980

Received International Gamma Sigma Delta Award

1982

Named Man of the Year, North Carolina Forestry Association

1983

Served as Honorary Chairman, CAMCORE (International) Cooperative

1983

Joined Socio Honorario, Association Argentina de Estudios Forestales

1984-1989

Served as member of the Selection Committee for the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation in Sweden

1985

Received Bernard Fernow Award in International Forestry, American Forestry Association

1986

Received Honorary D.Sc., Syracuse University

1986-1995

Served as President of Zobel Forestry Associates, Inc.

1988

Received Sir William Schlict Memorial Medal, Society of American Foresters

1990

Received Top in Efficiency Award, Pizano Company, Colombia

1994

Received the Integer Award, 2nd International Agribusiness Seminar, Monterrey, Mexico for Outstanding Agriculturalist

1995-present

Served as Senior Associate, Zobel Forestry Associates

2004

Received Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, North Carolina State University

Died, February 5, 2011

Died February 5, 2011, Raleigh, NC

Died February 5, 2011

Scope/content

The Bruce J. Zobel Papers includes daily and travel diaries, correspondence, speeches, an autobiography, articles, awards, reports, course information, theses proposals, serials, conference and symposia information, research plans, photographs, slides, artifacts, and other materials related to Zobel's forestry career. Included are materials relating to Zobel's work on the faculty of North Carolina State University as well as work with the Central America and Mexico Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE), the Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for Promoting Scientific Research in the Forest Industry, the N.C. State-Industry Cooperative Forest Tree Improvement Program, the Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), Zobel Forestry Associates, and other organizations. Major topics include international forest improvement programs, forest genetics, wood properties, forest management, and tropical forestry. Photographic materials in the collection are primarily images used by Zobel in his teaching and research career and document wood varieties and qualities, forest management, pests, and related issues. The collection also contains a scrapbook of wildflower samples, as well as wood and pine cone samples.

Arrangement

Materials have been kept in their original order as much as possible. Please see the series notes for more information about the arrangement of each series.

The collection is organized into sixteen series:

Series 01. Diaries, consists of daily and travel diaries, organized chronologically and by country of travel.

Series 02. Correspondence, includes correspondence with Gunnar Nicholson and other researchers on forestry topics.

Series 03. Speeches and Presentations, includes speeches and other materials related to the events at which Zobel spoke.

Series 04. Biographical Information includes Zobel's autobiography as well as materials related to his education and awards.

Series 05. Books and Publications contains materials related to the publication of each of Zobel's books, as well as a list of articles written by Zobel, some of which are organized into this series.

Series 06. Professional Activities, includes materials related to the various organizations that Zobel worked with and for during his career.

Series 07. Education and Teaching, includes course information and student files related to Zobel's teaching career.

Series 08. Forestry Resources, contains a variety of research plans.

Series 09. Serials is comprised of forestry-related serials from around the world.

Series 10. Reports contains reports on forestry issues from various countries and on multiple topics.

Series 11. Conference and Symposia Materials contains materials used in Zobel's forestry research.

Series 12. Photographs and Slides contains images used by Zobel in lectures and courses taught.

Series 13. Scrapbooks, contains two scrapbooks: one is a collection of wildflowers, the other a retirement scrapbook.

Series 14. Artifacts contains plaques, medals, awards, and tributes given to Zobel during his career, as well as some teaching examples of wood and pinecones.

Series 16. Reprints contains full-text reprints of some of the articles referenced by the card index in the previous series.

Use of these materials

The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Bruce J. Zobel Papers, MC 00259,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Access to the collection

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, North Carolina State University permits students to inspect their education records and limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records.

With the exception of student records and a folder of personal information, the collection is open for research. Access requires at least 24 hours advance notice.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Bruce J. Zobel Papers, MC 00259,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Use of these materials

The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.